Pastoral Search Committee Guide

Congratulations!

You have been chosen to be a member of the Pastoral Search Committee (PSC) for your congregation.

Now what?

The work you have been called to is a very important one in the life of your church. Your goal is to match a new pastor with your congregation, with the view toward establishing a long-term relationship. Poor matches result in short pastorates in which case everyone suffers, including the pastor's family and all members of the congregation.

But where do you start?

What steps should one follow? What are mistakes to avoid? How do we know what kind of a pastor will suit our congregation? Where do we start looking? What questions should we ask a candidate when we first contact him? How can the Conference help the process? When and how should the candidate be introduced to the congregation? And there are many more questions!

This guide is designed to answer some of these questions. It is recommended that the entire Committee review and discuss the contents of this guide near the outset of your search process.

May your search be successful!